Efficacy and equivalency evaluation of MLN conversions of elite CIMMYT maize lines

Description of the topic

Maize lethal necrosis (MLN) is an important disease in Eastern Africa, significantly impacting maize production and food security of smallholders in the region. CIMMYT has introgressed multiple QTL alleles into various elite inbred lines in an effort to improve performance of these lines when infected with MLN. The research proposed would evaluate the efficacy of the converted lines in hybrid combinations for yield under MLN pressure, as well as assess the equivalency of the conversions with the original recurrent parents for various economically important traits including yield under drought, low N, and optimal conditions. The work will be conducted primarily in Kenya, with some evaluation in Uganda and/or Tanzania. The project will also involve assessing the effect size of individual QTLs as part of a broad validation and prioritization strategy.

Work expectations

The student will be involved in preparing and planting yield trials, collecting data, analyzing trial data, and writing up and publishing results. We anticipate that the student would be first author of a publication focusing on the efficacy and equivalency evaluation of the best inbred conversions and would also contribute significantly to a second manuscript on validation of QTLs for MLN.

Required skills

An understanding of genetics and plant biology; introduction to plant pathology preferable.